Cohort study, 2017
Why does asthma worsen at certain times of the menstrual cycle?
Women with perimenstrual asthma have higher airway sensitivity and allergic-type immune markers that increase during the luteal phase, which may explain worsening asthma.
What they did
Prospective cohort over 10 weeks covering 2 consecutive menstrual cycles. Premenopausal women with perimenstrual asthma (n=12), non-PMA asthmatics (n=9), and healthy controls (n=10) had bronchial responsiveness testing to methacholine. Blood IgE was measured and induced sputum was collected on day 26 of each cycle, tested for eotaxin, IL-4, and IL-10.
What they found
PMA patients had significantly higher bronchial responsiveness and total blood IgE compared to non-PMA asthmatics and healthy controls (p=0.001, p=0.022). In the luteal phase, PMA patients had increased sputum eotaxin and IL-4 compared to non-PMA asthmatics (p=0.016, p=0.041) and healthy subjects (p<0.001 both). No differences in IL-10.
What it means for you
The study shows a biological mechanism: the immune system shifts toward allergic-type response during the luteal phase in women with perimenstrual asthma. However, only 12 women with PMA were studied, which limits how much these findings apply to other women.
12
women with perimenstrual asthma
p=0.001
higher airway responsiveness in PMA
p=0.022
higher IgE in PMA
About the study
- Original title
- Bronchial hyperreactivity in perimenstrual asthma is associated with increased Th-2 response in lower airways
- Authors
- Skoczynski S, Semik-Orzech A, Sozanska E et al.
- Journal
- Journal of thoracic disease
- Year
- 2017
- Study design
- Cohort study
- Participants
- 12
- What was tested
- None
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.21037/jtd.2017.06.121